[0:00]You can't go on social media these days without being served numerous conspiracy theories about the Epstein files. They've racked up millions of views. The engagement is off the charts and in the
[0:10]age of AI, it can be hard to parse out what's real from what is not. So, we worked with our CBS News confirmed team to understand what, if anything, underpins the most viral conspiracy
[0:22]theories about Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their supposed ties to some of the biggest news stories in American history. Here's what we found. The theory that Jeffrey Epstein
[0:32]is actually alive and living in Israel is false. You may have seen these photos circulating on social media that purport to show Epstein walking around Tel Aviv flanked by bodyguards. But, when
[0:43]investigated, we found these photos show obvious marks of AI. For example, this photo posted on Reddit on February 1st shows a Gemini AI watermark on the
[0:53]bottom right corner and one of the signs in the background reads, "Hagus Ev", which is not a real street name. Next, some users were pointing to Fortnite as
[1:04]further evidence to back this theory. The argument there was that Epstein's Fortnite username had newly become active again in Israel. But, this too is
[1:15]false. So, let's talk about how it came to be. In the files, there are movie and subscription receipts sent to Epstein's YouTube account, "Littleist Jeff 1",
[1:25]which is registered under his email, "jee.vacation@gmail.com". There is also an email that references a $25.95
[1:35]charge for V-bucks, the currency used on Fortnite. Now, the V-bucks email, however, makes no reference of a username and the sender and recipient are redacted. Social media users are
[1:47]simply making the assumption that Epstein's username on YouTube would be the same username he'd use on Fortnite. And they're making the assumption that Epstein had a Fortnite account at all
[1:58]when we actually don't know who the sender and recipient of that email were. Now, there is a profile for Fortnite username "Littleist Jeff 1" and that user appeared to be active as recently
[2:09]as 2025, which is after Jeffrey Epstein's death. When all of the speculation around this account being proof that Epstein was still alive
[2:19]started to swirl on social media, that profile suddenly went private in February, which only added fuel to the flames. But, Fortnite has now come out
[2:29]and said that an existing account owner simply changed their username to "Littleist Jeff 1" after the final batch of Epstein files were released and Epstein's YouTube name was revealed. By
[2:41]the way, Fortnite confirmed that they have no record of Epstein's email addresses ever existing in their account system. Then, there are the photos that the Metropolitan Correctional Center
[2:52]released as evidence after Epstein's death. Many people on social media are now pulling up these images next to images of Jeffrey Epstein in life, pointing out disparities in various
[3:03]facial features and using those disparities as proof that Jeffrey Epstein is not dead. So, CBS News reviewed images of Epstein from 2004 to
[3:14]2019 and yes, it is true that some of the facial features do look different. But, after death, changes can occur in facial features due to swelling. That's according to research published by the
[3:25]National Institutes of Health. What happens is bacteria break down tissues and produce gases that contribute to the body's decomposition process. And many of Epstein's facial features are still
[3:37]there, like his curly gray hair, his dark bushy eyebrows, his deep-set smile lines, a line across the chin, and a similarly shaped nostril. There is a
[3:47]distinct indent between his eyebrows that is seen throughout the years as well as wrinkles and bags under his eyes. Forensic scientists have conducted research that suggests facial creases
[3:58]may be resilient enough to changes caused by bloating after death and can be used for identification purposes. Now, these images of Epstein after his
[4:08]death show similarities to images of him from an alleged suicide attempt a month prior and also images of him in 2004, 2013, and 2017.
[4:20]The New York City Chief Medical Examiner ruled, though, in August of 2019 that Epstein's cause of death was a suicide by hanging. A forensic pathologist who was hired by Epstein's brother to
[4:31]investigate the death and was present during Epstein's autopsy said the fingerprints on the body found in Epstein's cell matched those that were taken of Epstein during his 2006 arrest
[4:43]in Florida, and that's according to 60 Minutes. Conspiracy theory number two. Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell are somehow connected to the disappearance of JonBenét Ramsey.
[4:55]Shortly after the latest batch of Epstein files was released by the Department of Justice, social media users started circulating this photo from Epstein's Manhattan townhouse. It
[5:05]shows a little girl on Epstein's shoulders wearing a jumper similar to this one, famously worn by JonBenét. Yes, the two items are similar, but the fact remains that it's a generic piece
[5:17]of clothing, which would have been worn by many children. And so, it cannot be held up as conclusive evidence of any ties between Epstein, the sex trafficking of minors, and the
[5:27]disappearance of JonBenét. And for what it's worth, JonBenét's father, John Ramsey, also recently responded to the viral conspiracy theory telling TMZ,
[5:37]"There is absolutely no truth to it." Conspiracy theory number three. Madeleine McCann. Just as the story of JonBenét has fascinated the masses for
[5:48]years, so has the story of Madeleine McCann, a young British girl who went missing at the age of three while on vacation with her parents in Portugal. Now, there are a number of viral videos
[5:58]on TikTok and Instagram highlighting the resemblance between this person of interest seen in a composite sketch and Maxwell. Now, that sketch of a person of interest is real. In fact, private
[6:10]detectives working for McCann's parents released a sketch on August 6th of 2009 showing a woman they believed may have information about their child's disappearance. The sketch depicts a
[6:21]woman who was seen by two British men in Barcelona 3 days after McCann went missing on May 3rd. But, a photo of Maxwell from May of 2007, the month
[6:30]McCann disappeared, shows Maxwell had longer hair than the sketch and a review of several other photos of Maxwell throughout 2007 shows her hairstyle remained consistently longer than the
[6:42]sketch. Then, there's something else in the files that creators are pointing to as further evidence of this theory. A UK resident submitted an online tip to the
[6:52]FBI regarding an alleged sighting of Maxwell with McCann in September of 2009. And yes, that is really in the files, but it's a tip, not a confirmed
[7:03]sighting. And the DOJ has noted that the released files may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents, or videos as everything that was sent to
[7:13]the FBI by the public that was included. Lastly, people are sharing this surveillance footage purporting to show a woman walking with McCann down a
[7:23]street shortly after her disappearance. In one angle, the woman appears to be wearing a head covering. At other times, she appears to resemble Ghislaine Maxwell. While the video is real, there
[7:35]is no concrete evidence that it shows Maxwell or McCann. So, the CBS News confirmed team deems this theory false as well. Conspiracy theory number four.
[7:47]After Ghislaine Maxwell's February deposition, people started pointing to perceived discrepancies in her facial features and voice to support a conspiracy theory that the woman we saw
[7:57]in the deposition was not, in fact, Ghislaine Maxwell, but a look-alike who had been swapped in for her. Comparing images of Maxwell from 2015, 2016, and
[8:07]2020 26 deposition footage, CBS News identified numerous similarities in her facial features. Photos throughout the years show Maxwell's dark thin eyebrows,
[8:19]slightly protruding ears, and thin lips that have a distinct shape when at rest. Maxwell's hair also has a rounded shape with a defined indent in the 2026
[8:29]deposition and also in images of her in 2015. Now, some users claim Maxwell's voice sounded different in her 2026 deposition when compared to other videos of her
[8:41]speaking. Videos released in the DOJ files show that she spoke with a softer tone in clips that appeared to be from the deposition in 2015 and 2016. So, um
[8:52]I don't know what you're talking about. I wasn't aware that he was having sexual activities with anyone when I was with him. I invoke my Fifth Amendment right to silence. >> Maxwell, as many of you know, has been
[9:04]jailed since her July 2020 arrest. Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, also confirmed to CBS News that Maxwell attended the deposition. He said, "Yes,
[9:15]that was Ghislaine in the House Oversight photo." And then, he sighed. "Jail," he said, "is crushing and remember, she was in torturous conditions including sleep deprivation
[9:26]back in New York. There are a lot of conspiracy theories out there," he said, "but this one might be in the Hall of Fame." Maxwell's siblings have consistently posted about their sister's
[9:37]imprisonment and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmates Database lists Maxwell. And this week, a new AI-generated video of Ghislaine Maxwell started
[9:47]circulating. This one purporting to show her standing on a street in Canada with gray hair and her recognizable facial features. When investigated, we determined that the footage was actually
[9:58]altered with AI to place Maxwell's face on someone else's body. When we reached out to the person who created this, they confirmed by saying, "Never meant for it to escalate the way that it did. My
[10:09]intent," they said, "was to make satire content, but people re-uploaded it and interpreted the video without checking with me first, purposefully misleading
[10:18]people for engagement." Conspiracy theory number five, viral video does not show Epstein torturing a girl with a magnifying glass. Some users have claimed that an old video clip shows
[10:30]Epstein torturing a young girl with a magnifying glass. They share a screenshot showing that a caller reported to the FBI a viral video of what they said appeared to be Epstein
[10:41]torturing a young woman. But, this video has been debunked. It's actually a clip from the adult film Dreya Morgan Stakeout Under Glass, starring Dreya Morgan and a male actor named Lou
[10:52]Rubins, who bears resemblance to Epstein, but is not, in fact, Jeffrey Epstein. Conspiracy theory number six, was Epstein involved in orchestrating
[11:02]the COVID-19 pandemic? Social media users have claimed with the subject line, "Preparing for pandemic" is evidence that Epstein planned the COVID-19 pandemic. An email that was
[11:13]forwarded to Epstein in 2015 with an attachment on the email indicates it was related to a meeting in Geneva about pandemics. Users claiming that Epstein
[11:24]orchestrated the pandemic pointed to Epstein's ties to Bill Gates, who has been the subject of conspiracy theories related to the COVID-19 pandemic. You see, the Gates Foundation has been one
[11:35]of the World Health Organization's primary donors, and the foundation also funds BioNTech, which helped develop the first COVID-19 vaccine. But, the bottom line here is there is no evidence
[11:47]Epstein had prior knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Global discussions about pandemic preparedness are not abnormal and are not exclusively related to COVID-19. We've even found posts
[11:59]alleging that Jeffrey Epstein's DNA was somehow in the COVID shots, but there's no evidence of that, either. Social media users have reported that Epstein conspired with people who developed
[12:10]COVID vaccinations to utilize it as a {quote} delivery system with some of his DNA. Some users even posted about the rumor, but the key here is they posted
[12:21]about a rumor. They did not state this as fact. Conspiracy theory number seven, no, Ghislaine Maxwell does not have ties to 9/11. Users are sharing emails sent
[12:30]to Maxwell days after September 11th, 2001 as evidence that she has ties to the attacks. One email sent on September 18th, 2001 asks, "Where is the real
[12:42]pilot?" Without further context, a separate document released by the DOJ shows additional emails sent on the same chain, which discusses Maxwell landing in Santa Monica, California on a
[12:53]helicopter. A second email from Edward J. Epstein, dated January 2003, invites Maxwell to the Shadow Commission on
[13:02]9/11, which she declines. An August 2001 archive linked in the email shows that appears to be a portfolio website for
[13:11]Edward Epstein. A February 2003 archive, which is the closest version available for the date the email was sent, shows a list of priorities for the Shadow
[13:21]Commission on 9/11, 2001, to investigate issues including government and security failures. Edward Epstein was an investigative journalist and author
[13:31]known for his research on similarly high-profile topics like John F. Kennedy's assassination, which is referenced in the Who Killed JFK tab on
[13:42]his website. Conspiracy theory number eight, did Epstein have access to all our kids' school photos? After the latest batch of Epstein files was released by the DOJ, creators started
[13:52]pointing to Epstein's relationship with Leon Black to fuel rumors that Lifetouch, the company that takes a lot of our kids' school photos, used those photos, those school photos, as a
[14:03]shopping catalog for pedophiles. And some school districts actually started canceling picture day because of it. Leon Black, who was Epstein's associate, is the former CEO of Apollo Global
[14:15]Management, which acquired Lifetouch's parent company, Shutterfly, in 2019. But, Lifetouch Group CEO Ken Murphy issued a statement saying that the
[14:25]images of school photos Lifetouch takes are {quote} safeguarded by families and schools only, with no exceptions. Lifetouch does not and has never
[14:35]provided images to any third party. Furthermore, Murphy said that neither Apollo Global Management nor its funds are involved in operations at Lifetouch,
[14:44]and no one employed by Apollo has had access to any of these images. Conspiracy theory number nine, Epstein was a cannibal and videos in the files
[14:54]prove he got Kuru disease cuz of it. The main piece of evidence people highlight to support this theory are these two videos in which you can see that parts of Epstein's face are swollen. While
[15:06]these videos of Epstein are real files released by the DOJ, there isn't enough evidence to conclude that his physical symptoms here are definitely a result of Kuru. The disease is fatally transmitted
[15:18]through ritualistic cannibalism with death occurring within 1 to 2 years of the onset of symptoms, that's according to the NIH. Users have shared an email
[15:27]excerpt where Epstein says, "Not food, people." But, a separate document shows the complete context of the email chain where Epstein was speaking figuratively,
[15:38]referring to difficult people that he had to deal with. Lastly, this claim has been repeated in multiple TikTok videos. I've had the displeasure of coming across this picture and video in the files. I've had the displeasure of
[15:49]coming across this picture and video in the files that include AI-generated audio and followed the same exact script in some cases, stealing the likeness of voices of actual creators to repeat it.
[16:01]All the STD tests, all the herpes swabs, everything was negative. >> All the STD tests, all the herpes swabs, everything was negative. But, what was positive was her test for Kuru. When you
[16:11]see videos with the exact same script word for word, that could either mean that one creator is simply ripping off another, or it can be a sign of AI. Either way, there's simply not enough
[16:23]evidence to suggest that there is any truth to this theory. The 10th conspiracy theory, a viral clip of a woman in Mexico has no proven connection to Jeffrey Epstein. Take a look at this
[16:34]old video of a woman shouting in Spanish. It has been circulating online alongside claims that it shows a Mexican model who fled one of Epstein's parties screaming that Epstein and his guests
[16:46]were eating people. Now, the footage is actually from an incident that happened in Monterrey, Mexico in August of 2009, according to coverage by Spanish news
[16:55]outlet Info 7. But, the video shows a woman identified as Gabriela Rico Jimenez shouting outside a hotel that they ate humans. Info 7 posted a
[17:06]Facebook video on February 6th revisiting their past coverage of the woman. While the incident did, in fact, happen outside a hotel in Monterrey, the woman does not mention Epstein's name in
[17:17]the footage, and there's no evidence the video is related to Epstein. The Epstein files contain millions of files, emails, photos, videos. The scope of the
[17:27]accusations and the wrongdoing is, honestly, overwhelming. And while it's tempting to believe that this network of evil is connected to other high-profile atrocities and tragedies like the
[17:38]disappearance of Madeleine McCann and JonBenét Ramsey, the pandemic, 9/11, etc., the evidence just isn't there. They are conspiracy theories distracting
[17:48]from the very real crimes that have been, and some survivors say have yet to be revealed.